The technological and digital landscape is constantly changing. Among them, eCommerce has been one of those segments that has seen massive growth in recent years. However, what kind of trends are we going to see in the upcoming years? In order to see the pattern, we must take a look at the Ecommerce Trends of 2019.
So, what happened in the world of eCommerce during the year 2019? And what can we expect to learn from it? Here are some thoughts.
Rise of Dropshipping
Dropshipping has been growing in the last few years. In a typical eCommerce transaction, you have an eCommerce store where a customer places the order, and you ship the order. However, in dropshipping, you are a middle man between the supplier and the customer.
Here the customer places the order with you, you transfer the order to the supplier, who ships the order to the customer. Hence, you don’t have to have an inventory, so your overhead cost is less.
But you assume the risk from the customer and if the supplier is late with the delivery, then you are responsible.
According to the eCommerce Trends Report, dropshipping saw a 44.8% growth in revenue during 2019. This trend will definitely grow in 2020 and onwards. Businesses using this model often see a growth of 32.7% in average revenues.
Because of its popularity, we expect to see a lot more of dropshipping in the coming years. It is also a great way for people to start their own business.
Rise to Direct to Consumer (D2C)
Direct to Consumer (D2C) has grown in the last couple of years with the rise of social media. It works by selling directly to the consumer, instead through a distribution channel or a retailer.
A lot of companies are now looking at switching from traditional selling to a D2C channel. This allows the manufacturer to have more power on their product and also their brand. Additionally, it is also relatively cheaper since it doesn’t require multiple middlemen for products to reach the final consumer. This is one of the major eCommerce Trends of 2019 that is going to continue.
D2C works on utilizing the digital space, focusing on making sales through websites or social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
Online Sales Grows Quickly
With the pandemic in place, people have heavily relied on getting their necessities from online shopping. While originally a lot of people relied on online platforms for non-essential items; these days the same online platforms are also offering essential items.
The ease at which we can now order groceries, medicines and other items without stepping a foot out the door is the main reason why we expect to see Online sales continue to grow quickly in the coming years.
We expect to see online sales rise from 1.3 trillion in 2014 to 4.5 trillion in 2021, a 3-fold growth.
A lot of companies are now shifting focus from local sales to online ones. This is helping them grow their reach and also cut their costs.
Evolving Role of Social Media in eCommerce
We’ve already covered above the rise of the D2C channel, something that is fueled by social media. The latest trend that we’ve seen take prominence in 2019 and is expected to continue in the coming years is Social Selling.
The introduction of the ‘Buy’ button on Facebook and integration of Instagram Checkout are great examples of social media’s growing role in eCommerce.
Social media is taking on new roles, something we expect to constantly see evolving in the future. Social media has become a great platform for not only reaching out to your friends, family and customers but also for selling.
Additionally, we also see a rise in sales from influencers. A lot of companies are also turning towards hiring influencers for brand promotion. One popular trend is ‘Challenges’ that companies are using as a way to get more people to notice their brand.
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is a great example of using social media to raise awareness about a particular cause.
Environment Influence on Online Sales
A lot of shoppers these days are becoming environmentally conscious, and are buying from brands that are vegan and environmentally friendly. This is pushing more brands to create more sustainable products and practices.
Over 50% of digital customers have claimed that environmental concerns affect their purchasing decisions, something we expect to see becoming more important as focus on the environment grows. So, companies will now have to shift to more eco-friendly practices and products.
This eCommerce Trend of 2019 is an important one that we plan on seeing in the coming years.
Growing Role of AI
Artificial intelligence is making headways in a lot of different segments, including eCommerce. Customer services are an important factor for a lot of companies looking to create brand loyalty and personalisation is slowly becoming a powerful tool.
This is where AI is expected to shine, providing brands with automated tools and marketing strategies to ensure that you can now add a personal touch to your brand. With AI, you can ensure customers are contacted quickly and offer more tailored solutions.
Research suggests that spending on AI is anticipated to increase and reach $7.3 billion per annum by 2022. As more customers are now looking for brands to connect with, it is no wonder that personalisation is becoming an increasingly important value for a lot of brands right now.
Learning from history is important!
Looking back at the eCommerce trends of 2019, we can easily see that a lot of trends that got their start in that year is still going strong in 2020. These trends are something we are expecting to continue seeing in 2021 and maybe even 2022.
